Highlights 2011

OCHA helped coordinate a rapidly mobilized response to Tropical Storm Washi after the Government quickly accepted the RC/HC’s offer of international assistance. The response in the first week included a Government-HCT rapid needs assessment; a Flash Appeal; a CERF rapid response grant; timely establishment of coordination tools in flood-affected areas; and reporting, analysis and information services.

The Humanitarian Action Plan (HAP) for the Conflict-Affected Provinces of Mindanao was implemented for the first time in 2011. The HAP 2012 was released in December. OCHA broadened its partnerships with NGOs, donors and the humanitarian community to ensure their views were integrated in the HAP.

OCHA supported the Government and humanitarian partners in building crisis-response capacity through training and a policy dialogue on humanitarian response. OCHA helped expand the Government’s understanding of the international humanitarian response system, which led to quicker acceptance of the international community’s offer of assistance and closer collaboration on rapid needs assessments.

OVERVIEW 2011

Humanitarian needs in the Philippines increased in 2011 due to frequent and intense tropical cyclones and heavy monsoon rains. The Government reported 19 tropical cyclones (compared with 11 in 2010). The 10 most destructive cyclones claimed 1,760 lives, affected 9.9 million people and caused damages estimated at $632 million.

In Mindanao, sporadic clan fighting and armed confrontations between Government forces and Moro groups continued to affect thousands of people, causing repetitive displacement aggravated by natural disasters. The security situation remained volatile in some locations and humanitarian access was limited in the island provinces of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The Government declared a State of National Calamity in December in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Washi. The storm took an unusual southern track, and triggered massive flash floods and landslides unprecedented in northern Mindanao. OCHA helped the Government and the HCT conduct a joint rapid needs assessment within 48 hours of the disaster. The results prompted the Government’s decision to accept the RC/HC’s offer of international assistance while urging a rapid increase of humanitarian actors proportionate to identified priority needs. Under OCHA’s stewardship, the HCT released the Flash Appeal five days into the crisis and received a CERF rapid response allocation to jump start life-saving activities. OCHA also supported the Government and partners on setting up the cluster system in the field to strengthen and complement the existing local humanitarian coordination structures. OCHA sub-offices were quickly established in two field locations. They provided a suite of OCHA core services, including daily coordination support, rapid needs assessments, response planning, timely situation reporting, analysis, information management, advocacy and resource mobilization.

Throughout the year, OCHA monitored and responded to the protracted conflict situation in Central Mindanao. In support of the Government and in collaboration with humanitarian partners, OCHA led the HAP process, through which the UN and partners aimed to provide life-saving and livelihoods support to 447,000 conflict- and natural-disaster-affected people.

Progress was made at the national level in strengthening humanitarian coordination and building response capacity among Government agencies and humanitarian partners. With OCHA’s support, the Government and the HCT established a Technical Working Group on Humanitarian Assistance, thereby ensuring stronger engagement and inter-cluster coordination among the national disaster management authority, the HCT and clusters before, during and after emergencies.

OCHA continued to invest in the joint rapid needs-assessment process, steering the development of common assessment tools and procedures. As a result, a number of joint Government-HCT needs assessments were conducted, with each experience increasing the collaboration between the Government and the HCT.
Advocacy on humanitarian principles, internationally established guidelines, and the use of tools and services offered by the international humanitarian response system formed the cornerstone of the dialogue between the HC and Government decision makers. This led to a quicker, better-coordinated response in successive emergencies. However, it is essential that the effort continues to improve response preparedness in this extremely disaster-prone country.

WORKPLAN 2011

GOAL 1: A more enabling environment for humanitarian action.

Objective 1.2 Relationships strengthened with a wider group of operational partners and other relevant actors in advanced humanitarian action.

INDICATOR

More organizations participating in Mindanao Humanitarian Team (MHT) and clusters.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Five NGO coordination meetings were held in Iligan and Marawi, gathering NGOs in Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur provinces in Mindanao and receiving positive feedback. These are in addition to regular MHT meetings. An average of 21 NGOs attended each meeting with an estimated outreach of about 40 NGOs in their network.

INDICATOR

Facilitate the establishment of a local NGO forum at Mindanao level.

ACHIEVEMENTS

A consortium of the Mindanao Emergency Response Network is operational. OCHA will continue to facilitate coordination between local NGOs and the wider humanitarian community in Cotabato City.

Objective 1.3 Defined roles and responsibilities within OCHA and among international development and humanitarian partners to support governments and regional organizations in response preparedness.

INDICATOR

Number of Government staff at national and local level engaged/aware of contingency planning and other areas of disaster management.

ACHIEVEMENTS

OCHA oriented more than 360 Government staff, including the military, at the regional and local level on the international humanitarian response system, cluster approach and civil-military coordination. At least 220 Government staff were oriented during Q3 and Q4.

Timely inter-cluster coordination and Humanitarian Country Team meetings on natural disaster preparedness/response.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Apart from the monthly HCT meetings held throughout the year, the HCT called several additional meetings for the response to Typhoons Nalgae and Nesat (October), and for Tropical Storm Washi (December) to take decisions on strategic planning, setting overall priorities, allocation of resources, and cluster leadership commensurate to the local needs.

INDICATOR

Agenda issues addressed by HCT that are submitted from operational-level inter-cluster coordination meetings.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Under the RC/HC’s leadership, the HCT set the parameters and the priorities of the Humanitarian Action Plan. HCT also agreed on priorities for the CERF grants. A procedure for the timely facilitation of security clearance of United Nations assessors participating in a Government-HCT rapid needs assessment by helicopter was arranged through consultation between UNDSS USG, OCHA ASG and RC/HC.

INDICATOR

Inter-cluster, cluster and cross-cutting recommendations made by HCT that are implemented at operational level.

ACHIEVEMENTS

The RC/HC recommended the conduct of a coordinated needs assessment for ongoing and new emergencies, and the collection of sex- and age-disaggregated data (SADD) with special attention to the needs of people with disabilities. Joint Government-HCT needs assessments were undertaken in three emergencies. Awareness of SADD and the need for data on people with disabilities have been raised among the HCT and cluster members. However, additional investment in data collection is required so that the data can be used for more analysis in key humanitarian reporting products, such as the HAP and situation reports.

INDICATOR

Established and functioning operational inter-cluster forums at capital and provincial levels.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Inter-cluster coordination functioned at the capital level, with (a) roles and responsibilities of leading agencies for emergency shelter, permanent shelter and CCCM clarified (between IFRC, UN-Habitat and IOM); and (b) establishment of the Reproductive Health Working Group under the Health Cluster. Inter-cluster coordination was also functional at the regional level in Central Mindanao for the flood response in June and for the overall coordination of the response to the protracted conflict situation. OCHA helped the Government to establish a functioning cluster system in Northern Mindanao for Tropical Storm Washi response.

Objective 2.2 An OCHA capable of responding quickly with clear triggers for establishing, phasing and drawing down operations.

INDICATOR

Country Strategy updated in consultation with partners.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Country Strategy for 2012-2013 developed in October.

Objective 2.3 A more predictable and scalable suite of OCHA services and tools to support leaders and partners in response preparedness, humanitarian response and transition.

INDICATOR

Country operations reviewed by target date against minimum services list to ensure coherence with corporate guidance.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Country Office workplan for 2012-2013 has been outlined in the Performance Framework following latest corporate guidance.

SADD was collected for the Child Protection Cluster for use in strategic planning products, including the HAP 2012. OCHA will continue facilitating coordination between local humanitarian actors to collect SADD in order to enhance data collection in addressing different needs of women, girls, boys and men. Additional investment in SADD collection is required.

INDICATOR

Adherence to standards per HQ policy directives to promote the standardization of data collection/analysis systems and consolidate baseline data.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Approximately 70 per cent compliance. Common Operational Datasets have been included and metadata has been updated as per standard policy. Fundamental Operational Datasets were acquired from Government line ministries and included in standard information-sharing platforms.

INDICATOR

Increase in the number of maps produced\printed\disseminated.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Maps were developed for the HAP 2012, Typhoon Nesat, Typhoon Nalgae and Tropical Storm Washi. The maps were used in briefing kits and complemented standard OCHA reporting products. They were disseminated electronically via the website and in hardcopy upon request.

Organizations participating in the HAP were fully engaged in the MYR process. The regional government and the MHT undertook a joint rapid needs assessment that informed the MYR.

INDICATOR

Over 20 organizations participate in the HAP 2012 development.

ACHIEVEMENTS

More than 55 organizations actively participated in the HAP 2012 development.

INDICATOR

Circulation of the humanitarian actors and donors of the Mindanao HAP MYR.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Completed.

INDICATOR

Needs-assessment format and operational plan developed for inclusion in contingency plan endorsed by HCT by beginning of Q4.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Multi-cluster rapid needs assessment forms (immediate, i.e. within 72 hours, and second phase i.e. two to four weeks) were piloted in three emergencies: flooding in Central Mindanao in June, Tropical Stroms Nesat and Nalgae in northern Luzon in October, and Tropical Storm Washi in Northern Mindanao in December. A procedure for a joint Government-HCT needs assessment is in practice. The HCT plans to develop an operational plan and a guidance note on the assessment forms.

INDICATOR

Percentage of projects in the funding mechanism (CAP, ERF) coded with the Gender Marker.

ACHIEVEMENTS

100 per cent of the projects in the 2012 HAP, including the Flash Appeal, are coded with a Gender Marker (Code 0: 15 projects; Code 1: 26 projects; Code 2a: 30 projects; and Code 2b: four projects). The UNCT is planning a training session on gender for emergencies, which will help improve the quality of gender coding.

INDICATOR

Percentage of total projects submitted prioritized as “high” in compliance with HCT-endorsed methodology.

ACHIEVEMENTS

79 per cent of the projects (in terms of budgetary requirements) were prioritized as “high” (second priority in the three-tiered priority system).